Dementia, hair and Dementia, hair and bodyworkbodywork

Richard WardRichard Ward

OverviewOverview

Situating hairdressing in dementia care Situating hairdressing in dementia care and reflections on research in ageing and and reflections on research in ageing and dementiadementia

Exploring the hairdressing encounter in Exploring the hairdressing encounter in dementia caredementia care

Outline of preparatory discussions with Outline of preparatory discussions with care-based hairdressers and other care-based hairdressers and other stakeholdersstakeholders

Madness, hair and genderMadness, hair and gender

Hair in careHair in care““He stopped at the bed of a sad, shrunken woman with He stopped at the bed of a sad, shrunken woman with wild hair, who cringed back against the pillows.wild hair, who cringed back against the pillows.‘‘Here’s your Mam’ he said.Here’s your Mam’ he said.And of course it was only that, by one of the casual And of course it was only that, by one of the casual cruelties that routine inflicts, she had on admission been cruelties that routine inflicts, she had on admission been bathed, her hair washed and left uncombed and bathed, her hair washed and left uncombed and uncurled, so that now it stood out round her head in a uncurled, so that now it stood out round her head in a mad halo, this straightaway drafting her into the ranks of mad halo, this straightaway drafting her into the ranks of the demented. Yet the change was so dramatic, the the demented. Yet the change was so dramatic, the obliteration of her usual self so utter and complete, that obliteration of her usual self so utter and complete, that to restore her even to an appearance of normality now to restore her even to an appearance of normality now seemed beyond hope. She was mad because she seemed beyond hope. She was mad because she looked mad” looked mad” (Alan Bennett, pg.12, Untold Stories, 2005)(Alan Bennett, pg.12, Untold Stories, 2005)

Hairdressing and symbolic worthHairdressing and symbolic worth

Presentation and controlPresentation and control

““When we have difficulties is when people will When we have difficulties is when people will for example expect their mother to be made up for example expect their mother to be made up to the 99’s when she looks like, you know, she to the 99’s when she looks like, you know, she looks totally and utterly ridiculous or fights with looks totally and utterly ridiculous or fights with the staff when they put the make-up on or the staff when they put the make-up on or whatever, it is what the whatever, it is what the relativerelative wants. You may wants. You may think it’s ridiculous but it does happen where a think it’s ridiculous but it does happen where a daughter will come in and shout abuse because daughter will come in and shout abuse because her mother hasn’t got her eyeliner on. I can her mother hasn’t got her eyeliner on. I can understand why because, perhaps this is what understand why because, perhaps this is what mother has done all her life” mother has done all her life” (Care home manager interviewed for CPCEC (Care home manager interviewed for CPCEC project)project)

Identity in timeIdentity in time

““As a child I don’t ever remember ever seeing As a child I don’t ever remember ever seeing my mother at any time not made up. And to this my mother at any time not made up. And to this day, if I’m talking to her today she’ll ask ‘do I day, if I’m talking to her today she’ll ask ‘do I need lipstick?’ … I don’t know whether or not her need lipstick?’ … I don’t know whether or not her carer is actually conscious of dressing her in a carer is actually conscious of dressing her in a given style. I don’t think it happens at all. I don’t given style. I don’t think it happens at all. I don’t think anybody thinks ‘oh, we’ll put this coloured think anybody thinks ‘oh, we’ll put this coloured cardigan on because she’s wearing that colour’. cardigan on because she’s wearing that colour’. I don’t think anybody does that”I don’t think anybody does that”

(Son of resident interviewed for CPCEC project)(Son of resident interviewed for CPCEC project)

Body work and presentationBody work and presentation

““When I go down there, her hair is looking When I go down there, her hair is looking so stringy and everything. Every morning, so stringy and everything. Every morning, everyday, most of the morning I come in, I everyday, most of the morning I come in, I try to shower my residents and wash their try to shower my residents and wash their hair, blow dry it, set it and everything. I go hair, blow dry it, set it and everything. I go down there and look at her – she’s a down there and look at her – she’s a completely different person” (care worker completely different person” (care worker quoted in Ward et al 2008)quoted in Ward et al 2008)

Hairdressing spaces: Hairdressing spaces: environmentalenvironmental

Hairdressing spaces: social and Hairdressing spaces: social and interpersonalinterpersonal

Hairdressing spaces: embodied Hairdressing spaces: embodied and intrapersonaland intrapersonal

Hairdressing spaces: biographicalHairdressing spaces: biographical

““““I like to have it blow dried, I don’t like my hair I like to have it blow dried, I don’t like my hair too tight. A blow dry makes you look younger. I too tight. A blow dry makes you look younger. I always have the same blow dry, but I like it a bit always have the same blow dry, but I like it a bit curly. That’s how my husband used to like it. curly. That’s how my husband used to like it. He’s been dead for 27 years now, but I keep it He’s been dead for 27 years now, but I keep it the same. I like to have a rinse every two the same. I like to have a rinse every two months, it makes me look and feel younger, I months, it makes me look and feel younger, I won’t go grey unless the time comes when I won’t go grey unless the time comes when I can’t be bothered” (Connie, RoAD Project can’t be bothered” (Connie, RoAD Project interviewee, Symonds and Holland 2008)interviewee, Symonds and Holland 2008)

Care-based hairdressersCare-based hairdressers““Studying embodiment, and not just Studying embodiment, and not just constructions of the body, could progress constructions of the body, could progress only by adopting the vantage point of the only by adopting the vantage point of the embodied worker and listening to their embodied worker and listening to their accounts of workplace experience ‘from accounts of workplace experience ‘from the inside’” (Wolkowitz 2006)the inside’” (Wolkowitz 2006)

• TrainingTraining• Employment conditionsEmployment conditions• Working conditionsWorking conditions• Relations with service usersRelations with service users

Looking aheadLooking ahead What research methods best support an What research methods best support an

‘embodied’ approach to care-based ‘embodied’ approach to care-based hairdressing?hairdressing?

Are there different considerations for men who Are there different considerations for men who use care-based hairdressers than for women?use care-based hairdressers than for women?

How are ethnic and cultural differences catered How are ethnic and cultural differences catered to?to?

What are the training needs of hairdressers What are the training needs of hairdressers entering the care system?entering the care system?

How might care workers, practitioners and How might care workers, practitioners and hairdressers integrate their work?hairdressers integrate their work?